What I am reflecting?
A Very Proud Moment as a Parent
During the recent Chinese New Year, my son was very proud of himself because he collected quite a bit of angbao money.
To show how proud he was, he would happily tell his friends the amount he received. He even told my wife’s colleagues, and pretty much anyone he met. You could clearly see the joy and pride in him.
When it comes to collecting red packets or angbao, I always tell him, “You see that when you wish uncle well, you see uncle is happy, right?” And then I continue, “Uncle then gives you angbao, how do you feel?”
When you think about it, it’s actually a wonderful exchange. Both sides feel happy, and both receive something meaningful. That’s why I always encourage him: treat people well, and people will treat you well too. When you behave well and act with kindness, good things often come back to you.
One day while we were driving to the shopping mall, he suddenly asked me, “Daddy, what am I going to do with the angbao money?”
For many years, I’ve shared a simple principle with my children. The angbao money is split into three portions.
The first portion is for spending — to buy something they like and truly enjoy the money they received.
The second portion is for investment.
And the third portion is for donation.
These are the three categories I’ve shared with them since they were young.
So he asked me, “Daddy, how much should I use for investment?”
I told him, “RM100 will do.”
Then he asked about donation. I told him that for donation, he can decide however he likes. Usually we donate when we visit the temple.
After that conversation, we continued with our day — went to the mall and came home.
Then last Tuesday, after he came back from school, he suddenly said, “Daddy, do you remember what you said about the money, how much I need?”
I asked, “Which one?”
He replied, “The money you mentioned in the car.” Then I recalled the investment money.
“Oh yes,” I said, “RM100.”
Then he went to his angbao money, counted RM100, and handed it to me.
At that moment, I felt so proud of him. I told him, “Alright, I’ll take this money and invest it for you.” Each of my kids actually has a share portfolio that I manage for them.
But the story didn’t end there.
On Wednesday night, my dad was visiting us. My son went back to his angbao money again, took out RM60, and passed it to my dad.
My dad was reluctant to take it at first. But I told him, “Why not give your grandson a chance to treat you well?”
My dad finally accepted it, and later he told me, “I can’t sleep tonight because I’m so happy. My grandson remembered and was willing to give his angbao money to his grandparents who take care of him.”
That moment meant a lot to me. It reminded me that maybe some parts of my parenting journey are working.
When you hear this story, it may or may not work exactly the same for you. But I believe the key is to stay persistent. Do what feels right, keep improving yourself as a parent, and over time things will get better.
For me, this was a very proud moment.
And it reminds me that I will continue learning to become a better father.
Quote I’m pondering
Focus on solutions instead of consequences.
Affirmation I used
I now command my subconscious mind to direct me in helping as many people as possible today by giving me the strength, the emotion, the persuasion, the humor, and the brevity to check off whatever is needed to get these people to change their lives now!